The invention concerns novel composite materials on the basis of a collagen matrix mineralized with silicate and calcium phosphate phases, method for their production as well as their use as implant material designable in a plurality of ways, biologizing coating, or active ingredient carrier.
The development of novel biomaterials is driven mainly by the desire to produce technically mature tissue and bone implants for medical applications. Depending on the implantation site and function, special demands with regard to bioactivity, biocompatibility, and mechanical strength are put on them. Generally, these demands can be hardly fulfilled by single component materials. Biological components that, for functional reasons, are usually considered a prerequisite have often an excellent biocompatibility but are not capable of withstanding great mechanical loads. For this reason, strategies for reinforming such materials are being worked on increasingly. For example, this would be achievable by combining further inorganic non-metallic components that can absorb the corresponding loads but, in turn, must have satisfactory biocompatibility.